🚀 go-pugleaf

Earlier JOHN HEROLD said:


JH> > Let's take an objective (outsiders) stance for a moment rather
JH> > than a  mason's stance.

JH>No, let's not.  Masonry is not defined by the uninitiated.


No, you're right.  It's not defined by the uninitiated.  But our NEW
MEMBERSHIP will surely come from the ranks of the uninitiated. And men
today are far more concerned with questions of sexual and racial
predudice than they once were only a few decades ago.  Your (The
Lodges) answers to these questions are going to have direct results on
their decisions to join or stay away.  Don't fool yourself into
thinking it dosn't matter what the OUTSIDER thinks.  That outsider
today is our prospect for a new member tomorrow.  If he is concerned
with issues of discrimination and you give him the same bogus
rationalizations we throw around here, you are going to lose a
potential candidate.  That's why I said "Let's take an objective
OUTSIDERS view here.  If you are unable to see this lodge with the
objective eyes of an outsider, you are also unable to see what it is
going to take to attract him to this fraternity.  And besides, no good
decision has ever been made by someone without cool-headed, non-
emotional objectivity.

If you are saying it dosn't matter what out FUTURE PETITIONERS think
of this fraternity and you would rather stick to the same old, same
old rather than take the necessary growth steps to keep new men coming
into our lodges into the next century and that you would rather see it
dwindle slowely into oblivion rather than make a simple change for
growths sake, then we really can't agree.

Think I'm predicting doomsday too early?  Ask a Mason in his 90's how
many men they initiated every year back in the 40s and 50s then
compare it to the average lodge in the same geographical area today.
Also, ask him how many Masons routinely attended lodge on a monthly
basis.  Likewise compare that to present numbers.  The drop off has
been nothing short of astounding.  The most astounding part is that a
fraternity as old as ours could experience such a drop in only a few
decades.  A simple trend analysis will show you where we are going and
how few years we have before we reach that point if we simply STAY THE
COURSE.


Sincerely,
Ron Boutwell, Moderator
Prather Lodge #717 Indianapolis, IN (F&AM)
Prather Chapter (RAM), Prather Council (CM
Raper Commandry (KT), Indianapolis Valley (AASR)


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 * CMPQwk 1.4 #648 * CONGRESS.SYS Corrupted:  Re-boot Washington D.C (Y/n)?